Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1887-03-12

Taschereau, who sail ~ ~
ed IN company with FeNNM " =
the american oarus ~ M
mar hau auuuunCou N ~0E-S
ms lhtentlou oi ecu, S&SIS{S1s&1
9eaNorIns oLnHueHte Ia ASs4cAsS@rTa
hone turoIgu ~ ~ fsSaSgxsyAsw
nls ISM VIZ u IT, Srfefsy9ASf%sTTSf
nau.an hnisn' H.. fa "r MstssYt $p"'
81 tbor c,pn1vn c1RroSs
onn"4 utooVn', ~ - uofsa,
say VIII seV'le 'He MNot0 u"'''
especial faNorlte WIN tue fVpe' anu MS au-
vice as to the treatment OF any matter IN
,,hich tho 1vnited States is concerned will.
- s.S1sueA ~ .ol,,n ,s u j. ci-or
IL II ueCl"Ieu' We ."Nou 40 10
In addition, blshop heane' OF IHVlluouu'
and Rishon ireland. Of ST. Paul. who are
hotb fr;erdlr IA tho KNIGHTS and who are
oo'N ~
recognized at hUhIe as ioFA."Nn''He '"N
more progressive element IN the American
.;or,r,h,- - with Cardinal Gibbons IN
..,. rhf,h ho .,l-os
support UNI III the Pos'VioH "nlou ~ '"No
Cardinal Gibbons IS IN a position 10 speak
more intellireutlv of the principles of the
,.n;rh4s 49, orr otbcr cb~nrchmar BEFORE
h"4A"'' mo, "-, 49,
leaving LOT Rome ne tdFeluIIN eA"HIluSu INC
manual of the order. He also held a long
conference with Master Workman Pow
-. ,.lou Ia ror,r5s 6 do,:or+ ar3
and conservative Cathollc' bis present
~position is the result of his investigation.
I. e s,;a in c,oricol circlos that +hn KNIGHTS
IA "nNrarf,I anorrias ,ri,bin tba Votfcon
nau PoWeLlut en9uilTo mteutm u '
Many OF tue IarulhdIs IAouSht Vhc O'uct "
be OF a character similar 10 the secret 50
Cletles OF Italy and SPAN, ana opposed IL
for that reason.
This followirp ia the Cardinals letter TO
,ba prororon5o,
WY ''"iNc
40 ms EniluehCe' OarulNal 7llIeHoI, lItieV'o
the Holy OuHBIesa'oH OF INC ! IuP"s'uNd,
YOUR EMlNENCE-ln submitting 10 me Holy
See the conclusions which. after several months
OF observation ana deep rcnccton' seem 10 me
10 sum up the question OF the ASSOCIATION OF the
knights OF Labor am strongly convinced OF
the vast importance OF this question, which
forms but one ring IN the great chain OF the So
cial problem OF our day, ana especially OF our
country. In Judging this question nave taken
great care TO use as my constant guIde the spirit
OF The encycllcals IN when our Holy tather'
Pope Leo NH, has SO admirably exposed the
dangers OF our time ana their remedies, ana mas
explained the principles by which We shall be
guided IN distinguishing the associations con
demned by the Holy See. such, also. were the
guides OF the thlrd PIenary Councli OF baltimore
in its teachings about the principle TO be FOL
lowed and the dangers TO be avoided by the
faithful in the formation OF associations toward
which the spirit OF our popular institutions so
strongly impels. Considering the fatal conse-
uutNttS lldl iIlEui ltSulI lultiEu al tIlOl III
the treatment OF the organizations, which often
count their numbers by thousands and hundreds
OF thousands, the council wisely ordered that
when an association has spread into several
dioceses, no single Bishop OF those dloceses may
condemn II. but must refer the case 10 the per
manent commission Of all the Archblshops Of
the United States, who in their turn are not
authorized TO issue condemnation, unless their
decision is unanimous, and IN default OF such
unanimity only the Holy See itself can impose
such a condemnation. SO mat error ana CON
fusion in ecclesiastical discipline can be avoided.
The commission OF ArChOishOps met toward
the end OF the month OF October last to espe-
cially consider the association Of the knights
OF Labor. We were not led 10 hold TINS meet
ing by any request on the part OF The BISHOPS,
for none OF them dld demand II, ana II must be
added that OF all the Bishops only TWO or three
were known to desire the condemnation, But
the Importance OF the question in Itself, and IN
the estimation of the Holy See. made US eX-
anime II with greatest care. After our discus
sion. the results of which have already been
communicated 10 Inc Holy Congregation oil the
Propaganda, only two out OF twelve OF the
Archblshops voted Tor the condelhhaton-that
Is to say, the Archbishop OF ST, Louis and the
Archbishop OF santa Re VINO followed sult-for
reasons which IN no way persuaded the Others
either by the justice or prudence OF Such a CON
qemnatlon. IN me CONSIDERATIONS when follow
] wish to give in detail the reasons which de
termlned the vote OF the great majority OF the
commission, the truth ana force of which do not
seem 10 me less powerful to-day. AT the same
time | Will try to do justice to the arguments
advanced by the opposition party.
flrst-Allhough there may be found in the
constitution the bylaws ana oihclal declaration
of the knights Of Labor, certain assertions or
regulations which we might not approve, we
have not found therein the elements which the
Holy See so clearly deSlgnates as cOnGcmna-
tory, and the formula OF Their organization con
tains neither oath nor obligation which pre-
cludes those who do not belong to II, or even
their pnpO1lpS from Incoming acquainted
with their affairs. Catholics are not forbidden
10 dlVulse everything to competent eccleSlastl.
cal authorities, even outside OF the confessional.
TINS has been especially explained TO US by their
oticers, no pronlSe OF blind obedience Is re-
CURED. The objects OF the association and its
rules are well and distinctly established, and
the obligations OF obedience do not trcspass
their limits. Not only their object and their
rules are not hostile 10 religion or the church,
but the very contrary. The third Plenary Coun-
Gil fortids that we should condemn any associa-
ton without giving its officers or representa-
tves a hearing. lCoryphccs vel soClis prtFCi-
puis, No. S5h' TIER Master Workman, IN send
Ing me a copy OF their constitution. took oCCa-
sion to say that he processes MS religion faith
fully ana receives the sacraments regularly;
that he belongs to no Masonic association or to
any olher olherwlse condemned by the church
mat he knows of nothing in the society OF
the knights OF Labor contrary 10 regulation
OF the church, and with hlial submission
he begs the pastors Of the church to exam
Inc all the details OF their organization, and
says If they find therein anything rcprehensible
10 point them out and he win faithfully promise
10 have the proper notifications made. As.
suredly this does not look like hostility toward
the authority Of the church, but, on the contra.
ry, q perfectly laudably spirit.
After their convention in richmond last year
many OF their most jealous officers and C1tho.
lie members made the same declarations re-
garding their sentiments. As for the proceed.
ings of the convention themselves (Which we
eNppct soon In rpppiyel va cd, NO ,,,,a ava
therein any hostility to the church or to the laws
Of the land. Not only their constitution ana
regulations contain nothing Of the sort. but the
heads ofour civil authorities treat them and The
cause they represent with the greatest respect
The President of the United States told me
personally. a month ago. that he had then nm.
der consideration a law tending TO remedy GER
tain social grievances. and Thai he had iust had
a conference with Mr.. Powderlv. The Genera
Master Workman of the Kniohfs nf Iohor on
the subject. The Congress OF The TTni,ed
States. following the advice Of the President 1.
now considering measures leading 10 ameliorate
the condition of the WORKING class ,hc fonnda
ton for many of whose c0mniaints is onani,
Acknowledged. And tho %nolitical nar,iaS Ia
from looking upon them as enemies Of Tho com
try. vie with each other 10 Obtain for them IN,
rights thew are 50 clearly entitled In tor II Is q
fact well known that the moor toilers have M,
inclination 10 resist or hreal, Inc Lave ~ N,
land. if but simpiy IN oh,oin eonjtohle ,e mi L'
ton by constitutional and le9itimnte means
And those Considerations which show mar m,
organization does not contain any Of the ee
ments which the Holy See condemns hiring ~
face TO face with the evils the society is com
batting and the real nature of the %confict + er
exist in our country. as in all Others. socin
grievances which are grave and menacing. puf